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Disc shattering news

hoots_min - 20/7/08 at 11:57 AM

For me anyway. This is more by way of caution as I spent the first part of the week in hospital due to an angle grinder incident.

On sunday night I was about to cut up an old metal gate with an angle grinder but when I went to make the first cut there was a distinct lack of resistance. Then I felt a bit of discomfort in my right hand but looking at the welding gloves I had on (I was fully PPE'd but had thicker gloves on than normal) there was nothing apparently wrong until I took off the glove and found the skin of my middle finger at the knuckle hanging loose so to speak!

To cut a long story short (and the fact that I am now typing one handed with my weaker hand) I've had two ops, I severed a tendon (now re-attached) and it took them an hour to clean all the bits of the disc out of the wound (it was about an inch shard that had gone in).

My learnings are (and this is probably the important bit)

Be aware of what you do with your discs - I had used it on the saturday but in cleaning out the garage must have dropped the disc or dropped something on it which had caused hairline fractures
Be aware of the temperature cycles of the disc - not applicable to this situation as it was a new disc that had been used once but reading up on failure modes this can be an issue
Ensure you use the correct PPE - It may have been worse for my finger if I had had my normal gloves on or none at all - glasses would also be advisable
Ensure you are out of the line of fire - this is something instilled in us at work and rightly so as there have been fatalities from this and although there is a degree of luck with all these types of incident you will improve your odds.

Finally, and may not be entirely applicable, but those cheap discs that we all buy may be more prone to this failure so more caution is required (mine were of a cheaper variety) but also the thinner they are the more fragile they are.

worX - 20/7/08 at 12:03 PM

Thanks for the words of caution.

Hope you are on the mend properly soon enough!

Steve

colt_mivec - 20/7/08 at 12:06 PM

Any pictures of the WOUND!!!

eccsmk - 20/7/08 at 12:09 PM

as above i too hope you mend fully and soon
thank you for your words of caution!

Peteff - 20/7/08 at 01:01 PM

I would also add from my days as a fettler, don't force the disc let it cut at its' own pace and don't labour the grinder. Don't apply any lateral pressure to cutting discs, if you are grinding use a thicker grinding disc, a flapwheel or a low grit fibre disc with a backing pad. Turn the guard on the grinder so it covers you, they are movable.

RK - 20/7/08 at 01:10 PM

We all feel for you. It can happen to anybody. I hope you're better soon!

ps to the guy asking for pics. This thread is very useful WITHOUT pics thank you very much!

mangogrooveworkshop - 20/7/08 at 03:15 PM

We had a fair few take off over the years.
I used to work for a anti burglar bar manufacturer and the workers were unskilled
despite training things would be done that made your eyes water.
I have a great respect for angry grinders and crosscut saws(broke two fingers with one last year)
hope you get some function back
stay safe

iank - 20/7/08 at 03:20 PM

Glad it wasn't worse, the protection from the glove quite possibly saved your finger from being completely removed.

Hope it heals quickly and well.

NS Dev - 20/7/08 at 06:12 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Peteff
I would also add from my days as a fettler, don't force the disc let it cut at its' own pace and don't labour the grinder. Don't apply any lateral pressure to cutting discs, if you are grinding use a thicker grinding disc, a flapwheel or a low grit fibre disc with a backing pad. Turn the guard on the grinder so it covers you, they are movable.

All sound advice.

Simon - 20/7/08 at 06:54 PM

Hoots,

All the best for a speedy recovery!

I use a grinder quite a lot (sometimes 6 or 7 hours a day) and my contribution is this:

If you think a blade has been damaged, even if there are no visible signs, remove it, snap it in half and put it in the bin. You never know, someone else might try and use it!

ATB

Simon

johnston - 20/7/08 at 07:51 PM

Its quite a suprise how many "professionals" take chance's wit these things .

I started new job few months ago in stores and couldn't believe it when i seen 2nd hand discs lying on the shelf to be given out, ok some one might have just took it off to swap to another type but you just don't know! I think its bad enough just handing out a grinder with a disc on it.

At home i've now got 2 toolboxes one for every day stuff one for the cutting and welding stuff and the discs stay out of the way of everything else!

davie h - 21/7/08 at 01:01 AM

hope your ok and get the use of the hand back quickly. my cheap new b&q grinder has a quick release guard that can be moved very easily(my old one needed a allen key to get it moved). im now looking at buying a full face mask/guard after my little accident (3 stiches in my face) as it could have been my eye and i dont doubt i would have lost the sight in it costing me my job. so be carefull out there

Davie

hoots_min - 22/7/08 at 08:07 AM

Thanks for the words of wellness. I feel fine and not needing any pain killers, just feel a bit silly walking around with a glove puppet on my hand (my whole hand is bandaged up).

Got feeling in the finger and some movement back although probably shouldn't be trying to move it. Quietly confident over prognosis but a wake up call for me and worthy of sharing.

NigeEss - 12/9/08 at 08:03 PM

quote:
Originally posted by colt_mivec
Any pictures of the WOUND!!!

No, but I've seen the scar ! Ouch........

ATB Hoots

[Edited on 12/9/08 by NigeEss]

mistergrumpy - 12/9/08 at 08:22 PM

Out of interest did you have the guard fitted? I have a healthy respect for angry grinders and "the tool" (wizzy wirey thing) I have managed to touch the side of the spinning disc twice in 2 days now and managed to get away with it. I'd much rather use the saw when I can even if it takes longer.

smart51 - 12/9/08 at 09:26 PM

I cut my thumb with an angle grinder about 4 months ago. I cut 90% of the way through the tendon. They had to open up the cut so they could stitch the tendon back together.

I didn't need any pain killers either. In fact, I just put a big plaster on the wound. Because it stopped bleeding and didn't really hurt, I thought it would be OK. When my wife got home a couple of hours later she made me go to hospital.

After 2 weeks they took the plaster off my hand and I couldn't bend the thumb at all. 6 weeks after the op I was allowed to try and bend the thumb and it had almost no movement. Several week of physio later and I have full movement but it feels stiff. Not all of the sensation has come back between the cut and the nail.

Remember that grinders cut through metal very easily. Your fingers are not made of steel and present little resistance to the disc. Don't end up taking your body parts to A and E in a bag asking for them to be sewn back on.

[Edited on 13-9-2008 by smart51]